MedRounds Community Guidelines

Last updated: 16 September 2026

MedRounds Community is a place for medical students and doctors to learn from each other: discussing cases, asking questions, sharing what's helped and supporting each other through exam preparation.

These guidelines keep it useful and safe. They apply to everything you post in MedRounds, including posts, comments and your profile, and to how you behave at MedRounds events. They are part of our Terms of Service.

The short version: protect patients, respect each other, and keep exams fair.

1. Protect patient confidentiality

This is the most important rule in MedRounds Community.

Discussing clinical cases is one of the best ways to learn, and you're welcome to do it. But nothing you post may identify a patient, directly or indirectly. Patients trust the people treating them, and that trust doesn't end when you leave the ward.

What you can share

  • Approximate age, such as "a woman in her 60s"

  • Sex

  • The presenting complaint and history

  • Examination findings

  • Investigation results, with every identifier removed

  • A broad setting, such as "a district hospital in West Africa"

  • What you learned, and what you would do differently

What you must never share

  • Names or initials

  • Exact dates, including birth, admission, surgery or death

  • Hospital, clinic, ward or town names

  • Record, hospital or insurance numbers

  • Photos showing faces, tattoos or distinctive marks

  • Scans, ECGs or lab reports with names, numbers or dates still visible

  • Screenshots of patient records

  • Timing that points to one person, such as "the patient I saw this morning"

The test

Before you post, ask yourself:

Could someone who knows this patient recognise them from my post?

If the answer is yes, or you're not sure, don't post it. Remember that details add up. A rare condition, a town and an age can identify someone even without a name.

Clinical images

  • Only post a clinical image if the patient has given consent for it to be used for education.

  • Remove or crop out everything that could identify them, including labels, dates and background details.

  • Say in your post if an image is graphic, so others can choose whether to look.

We will remove any post that fails the test, without warning. Repeatedly breaking this rule will lead to your account being closed.

2. Keep exams fair

  • Never share exam questions or content from the USMLE or any other licensing exam, whether copied, photographed or recalled from memory. Everyone who sits these exams agrees to keep their content confidential, and sharing it can put your own results at risk.

  • Don't post content from question banks, textbooks or paid courses, such as screenshots of questions or explanations. That material belongs to its publishers. Talking about a topic in your own words is fine.

  • Sharing study tips, schedules and the resources you found useful is encouraged.

3. Respect each other

  • Be kind and professional. Disagree with ideas, not people.

  • No harassment, bullying, threats or hate, including based on race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, disability or age.

  • No sexual content, and no unwanted advances.

  • Respect other users' privacy. Don't share anyone's personal information, messages or photos without their permission.

  • Everyone is at a different stage. Questions that seem basic are welcome. Nobody should feel embarrassed for asking.

4. Be honest and accurate

  • Don't pretend to be someone you're not, including claiming to be a doctor, or to hold qualifications you don't have.

  • Be careful with medical information. Community discussions are for learning, not clinical guidance. If you're unsure whether something is correct, say so.

  • Don't post medical claims you know to be false or misleading.

  • Don't ask for or give personal medical advice. If you have a health concern about yourself or someone you know, speak to a doctor who can examine them.

5. Keep it relevant

  • No spam, repeated posts or chain messages.

  • No advertising or self-promotion, including selling courses, notes or tutoring, unless we have agreed to it.

  • Doctors who want to run a seminar should apply to host an event through MedRounds, rather than promoting it in Community.

6. Look after yourself and each other

Exam preparation is hard, and it's normal to find it stressful.

  • If a post suggests someone may be at risk of harming themselves or others, report it so we can see it.

  • If you or someone else is in immediate danger, contact your local emergency services.

  • MedRounds Community is a place for support between peers, but it is not a substitute for professional help.

7. Behaviour at events

The same rules apply at MedRounds events, virtual or in person.

  • Be respectful to hosts and other attendees.

  • Don't share the joining link for a virtual event.

  • Don't record an event unless the host has agreed and everyone attending has been told.

  • Don't discuss identifiable patient information, even out loud.

8. Reporting and blocking

  • Report any post, comment or user that breaks these guidelines. The person you report is never told who reported them.

  • Block anyone you don't want to see or interact with.

  • We review reports and act on them as quickly as we can.

9. What happens if the guidelines are broken

Depending on how serious it is, we may:

  • Remove the post or comment

  • Send you a warning

  • Temporarily suspend your account

  • Permanently close your account

For serious breaches, such as posting identifiable patient information, sharing exam content, threats or hate, we may skip straight to suspending or closing your account.

If you think we've made a mistake, email support@medrounds.co.uk from the email address linked to your account and explain why. We will review it.

10. Your posts after you leave

If you delete your account, your posts and comments stay visible, shown as "Deleted user". To have them removed, email privacy@medrounds.co.uk, either before or after deleting your account. Our Privacy Policy explains more.

11. Changes to these guidelines

We will update these guidelines as MedRounds Community grows. The "Last updated" date at the top shows when they last changed.

12. Contact us

Questions about these guidelines: support@medrounds.co.uk Removing your posts: privacy@medrounds.co.uk

Our Shared Commitment

Behavioral Standards & Integrity

Engage with peers respectfully and constructively. Our leaderboards thrive on healthy competition, not harassment. Maintain the integrity of your study streak and contributions to foster a positive, collaborative learning space for all MedRounds users.

Any form of cheating, automated score manipulation, or spamming will not be tolerated. These actions degrade the shared learning experience. Violations may result in temporary suspension or permanent removal from study cohorts and platform access.